Transitions – Inspiration Shot May 2019

Sometimes everything suddenly changes. The transition from one state of being to another rarely seems to be gradual. I don’t know why the transition to something new is usually a shock.

When, during a vacation in Jordan, my relationship disintegrated from one minute to the next, it was such a fierce transition. One moment everything seems OK, the next you are in shock, sad, angry, nothing is what it seems and everything is chaos. During my morning meditation, I felt very peaceful and told the universe I was ready to apply the new principle that I was reading about; to consider every pain that comes into your life as a growth opportunity. I even challenged the universe to bring on ‘the next lesson’. I expected that I would get a little ‘test’. Not. It was more intense than I could have ever imagined. A good example of ‘don’t try this at home’…

How do you deal with shock, with sudden change, with disappointment, sadness, loss, with the disappearance of everything you thought you were sure of? I have always been a ‘survivor’, so I rebooked my Jordan trip, found a new apartment in Amsterdam and arranged the move. But then? Just continue as I always do? Or acknowledge the pain this time and try to learn from it?

In this inspiration shot, you will find a personal travel blog, some books that I find very helpful and some other tips and things to know if you are also going through a transition. Whether it is work or private: the more comfortable you feel, the greater the chance that the next step is near, whether you like it or not.

Heartbreak in Jordan

Do you let something that happens during a trip ruin that trip? Or can you integrate it into your experiences? A personal travel report with practical tips from my unforgettable travels in Jordan.

Surrender experiment

Admit it: we just don’t know what will happen. We cannot plan or control everything. Trust that what happens must happen, that ‘the bigger plan’ will become clear at some point. The only thing you have to do is not to stand in the way. But how?
These two books help you release control; super scary… They have inspired me to experiment a few times, which makes it interesting, less scary and sometimes even fun. In any case, it provides valuable insights.The surrender experiment is the personal story of Michael A. Singer. By letting go of everything he not only had the most fantastic experiences but was also extremely successful at his work. It is fascinating, with lots of inspiration, insights and tips. The second book is the book that I was ‘accidentally’ reading on the plane to Jordan. The untethered soul provides a more theoretical explanation of the theme ‘letting go’, with practical tips and exercises.

Quotes and insights

On this Pinterest board I’ve collected appropriate, wise and fun quotes that have to do with transitions. There are some real gems in here!
Do you actually know how easy it is to create a Pinterest board about a topic that interests you? Google your theme, search for ‘images’ and your screen will be full of beautiful quotes, photos, cartoons and images. With the Pinterest extension in Chrome, you simply click on what you want to save. This way you can create a ‘board’ to share with others in no time.

Fun

In times of extreme stress, pressure, overwhelming emotions, worrying, it is important to give your mind a rest every now and then. You can put your problems on hold for a moment. Take a ‘worry break’, so to speak. Here is a fun website, google search and video to give you some distraction:

Self Care

Take care of yourself. You need plenty of energy for your transition and the emotions that go with it. Eat well, sleep well, get a massage. Do not fall into the trap of alcohol, drugs, sweets, etc. That will only burden your body more. Plus it numbs your mind, just when you need it. Try to be in the moment instead of following your runaway thoughts. Meditation can help with this. Ask for help if needed. Find a good coach. Talk to friends, sleep, allow yourself to not want or do anything, make room to be alone.

These podcasts help me with the process of letting go and 'looking for the present in the shit' as I always know how to articulate it during my lectures. In real life that remains difficult, I can tell you ...

Where is Esther?

In recent months I have rarely been in one place for more than a week. It's been super fun and inspiring, but also tiring. Instead of 'coming home' to Amsterdam, I had to move again in the few days that I was in the Netherlands. Fortunately, as a Digital Nomad, I own very few things (you can see all I own in the photo), but still… Coincidentally I had just bought a new apartment in Amsterdam to rent out (see my real estate blog), where I can now temporarily keep my stuff, until my 'own' apartments becomes available again in September. It is actually a shame to keep an entire apartment just for my belongings, as I will hardly be in the Netherlands in the coming months, but it is good to have a 'base', especially when the rest of your life has been turned upside down.

The second half of May I will be in my beloved Mallorca, for the annual writing week that I hold there. Hopefully, I will find the peace there to work on my own new book. The first few days I have no plans. I will be staying at the finca (farm) that I once owned together with my Curaçao 'Mr Wrong'. It's so nice to be there, to really 'ground', connect with nature, with my 7 cats and countless numbers of chickens walking around.

For now, I am only focusing on the most urgent things. I am not going to do anything extra, anything new. I will just focus my energy internally. Thank you for your understanding and support.